- Do not over mix!
- Place the butter out on the counter for at least an hour, or until it becomes room temperature.
- Cut the butter into cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar(s)to the butter and gently mash it into the butter with the prongs of a fork.
How to Cream Butter and Sugar
Knowing how to cream butter and sugar together (for example) properly can mean the difference between perfect consistency of a cake or a grainy flotsam of a batter. Although very simple, it’s too easy to rush through the steps or be completely unaware of what you’re meant to be doing when following a recipe.
Steps
1- Do not over mix! Butter and sugars are over-mixed when the butter begins to separate. The reason we ‘cream’ butter and sugar(s) together is to create little air pockets in our batter. The air will mix with the leavening agent and expand making our creations rise.
2-Place the butter out on the counter for at least an hour, or until it becomes room temperature. The butter should feel soft, but not warm or melted.
3- Cut the butter into cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter with a wooden spoon until it is soft.
4- Add the sugar(s)to the butter and gently mash it into the butter with the prongs of a fork. With your wooden spoon, stir the butter and sugar(s) until they are light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl periodically. The butter is “creamed” when it has almost doubled in mass and it has lightened to a yellowish-white colour.
Tips
Do not take short cuts by trying to soften the butter too quickly (in the oven for example). Melted butter simply will not work.